Seniors

How to choose a homecare checklist

Home Care Seniors

Taking care of your loved one can be overwhelming. You have to choose the right home care for your dear old folks. If there is no pressing emergency you should plan out this activity before hand and do all the research. This is going to be a major decision and it affects you financially and emotionally so it should be taken with wisdom and care. Here we provide you a checklist which you should consider before you choose a in-home care giver for your loved ones.

Know your needs

Keep in view the particular needs of your loved ones. Know what kind of special care and attention they deserve and see if the home care facility you are considering offers such care or not? If it isn’t then its time to move on to any other facility. The care and well-being of your loved ones should be of utmost concern here.

Check their website

You should also check the website of the facility. See what kind of services they offer and specialized care is available or not? You can see what other people have to say about them by checking the reviews/feedback section, if that is available.

See their social media

Social media could be a great place to know about that facility. You will be in touch with a lot of people who have been or currently being treated by that facility. It will give you first hand knowledge about that facility and you will gain some valuable insight.

Credentials

Check their credentials thoroughly. Like do they have any industry awards or certifications? How long have they been operating? What important milestones have they achieved during their lifetime etc. etc.

Properly Qualification

You should be properly satisfied that the facility has trained and properly educated staff to take care of the elderly and the sick. They should be licensed by the concerned authority to run this facility and you should ask for such license.

Look for references

You should look for references from people who have been to that facility. It will give you an idea on what kind of treatment is meted out to the elders there.

Philosophy of care

You should ask what is the philosophy of their care and what is their mission statement. This will provide you the information to know on what lines they are running their facility.

Affordability

Price is another important factor to decide on a home care facility. You will have to see your budget to decide on the facility you want. Ideally it should be the best quality care at the most affordable price. The two do not always reconcile but you can try to find one.

Guideline for patient’s care

You should know how they are going to take care of the patients and the elderly. They will have guidelines on them. You can talk to them about it and tell your particular need. They should be able to develop a guideline tailor made for your patient’s needs.

Ask for specialized support

You need some special support. For example, having a person who speaks a particular language or some specialized disability support. Ask for it and see if you can get it from there.

Communication

You should ask them how often and how they will remain in touch with you. You want to remain updated about the health of your loved ones on a regular basis. As their mechanism about it.

Staff

Get to know about their staff. Do they have their employee? Or do they hire people from outside agencies on a need-basis. If they hire their care staff how do they assess their skill level and how much control do they have over them?

Spot checking

Does the facility keep a close eye on the support staff and conduct spot or surprise check? This should tell how concerned they are in providing quality health care services.

Emergency management

They should have an adequate emergency plan in place to take care of any such eventuality. You should be aware of it to know that your loved ones are in safe hands.

Insurance

Will they accept your insurance and how do they bill? These questions should be asked on the onset so that you decide to choose on which facility.

Care Management

You should know how much care management will be provided by the facility. A professional care manager should be there organizing things like medication, refills and other necessary services.

Medication management

Like care management, medication management should be provided too. The facility should ensure that medicines are being provided regularly to the patients and the patients are taking them as prescribed. There should be proper monitoring of it. The facility should be aware of possible side effects of medicines and whether or not take them with food or water.

Hours

How many hours of care will be provided by the facility and what does that care entail? You need to know the minimum number of hours of care which will be provided by your patient in that facility on daily basis.

Meeting time

What are the timings when you will be allowed to meet your patient and if there is any emergency what will be the meeting policy then?

Exit fee

What is their policy if you opt to leave them early? Do they charge any exit fees? Some facilities charge a hefty fee if you leave them early. You should know of any such policy beforehand.

Conclusion

Choosing a home care facility for your loved ones is a sensitive issue. It requires you to commit yourself both financially and emotionally. You should talk to all the persons involved before making a decision. There ought to be a lot of factors which you should weigh in before ultimately deciding for one particular facility.

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Zara Jones is a valued contributor to various CosmoBC's blogs.

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